Dove season 2023

[66chevelle]

I sat outside from 8am-9:30 and shot 9 total. Not bad for sitting in the patio furniture and not trying very hard. How did everyone else do?

 

[cg21]

Awful. Sat noon to 5 on public we were last drawn….. 0 birds from noon to 3 then a few random fast guys came in 3-4 then 4-5 THEY all start coming in and I can’t hit the broadside of a barn. Kids allergies were a mess in the ragweed…… all that said great memories made ! One dove in the fridge hoping to add some more tomorrow.

 

[jeepinleonard]

Public land noon to 5. Shot 5 birds lost 3. I HATE steel shot. Can't wait to go hit the private land with some good old lead.

 

[Winamac]

I got draw #11 this year for 01 Sep 23 at JP. First year in 7 years I have been drawn to hunt public. Couldn't go though. Mother-in-law had major surgery in Indy. Like life or death. Well may next year for the draw?

On another note. Interesting story about the Dove draw hunt this year at Winamac FWA. Last week I was talking to the Winamac FWA office and asked them why they did not offer a public draw hunt this year for Dove? They indicated to me that it was because the deer ate all the sunflower seed/sprouts when they came up in the spring. They said one can still hunt (open hunt), but no sunflowers are there? FWIW just passing this along.

 

[66chevelle]

Awful. Sat noon to 5 on public we were last drawn….. 0 birds from noon to 3 then a few random fast guys came in 3-4 then 4-5 THEY all start coming in and I can’t hit the broadside of a barn. Kids allergies were a mess in the ragweed…… all that said great memories made ! One dove in the fridge hoping to add some more tomorrow.

Sorry to hear that. What part of the state are you in? My oldest and I are going to set on the patio again tomorrow morning. Hope to get out early and get him his first dove. I picked up those flickers and 2 mojo voodoos to hopefully draw more in and give him a little more time get set to shoot.

 

[cg21]

Sorry to hear that. What part of the state are you in? My oldest and I are going to set on the patio again tomorrow morning. Hope to get out early and get him his first dove. I picked up those flickers and 2 mojo voodoos to hopefully draw more in and give him a little more time get set to shoot.

NWI

 

[66chevelle]

Hopefully everyone is having better luck then us. We have been out since sunrise and only seen 4 doves.

 

[Hookeye]

Worked on kids car today.
Dunno if I should hit northern F&W area tomorrow or not.
Heard shooting west of my house, not much but a decent volley early, then like 3 from one gun....later, 3 more.
Somebody emptying gun on a solo? Proly out yonder too LOL

 

[Hookeye]

Ive done OK in mornings but after 30 yrs of this stuff, 4 to 6 pm is best.
State or private ground.
Learned long ago to avoid the scorching mid day hrs for so few birds.
Noon to 2 pm............forget it.

 

[cg21]

So tomorrow I am going to head into the draw….. get a spot and then LEAVE come back later in the day. Sitting out there midday ..... it’s fine opening day I GUESS ? Just because of the excitement but otherwise it is usually a bust in this heat atleast.

 

[66chevelle]

Ive done OK in mornings but after 30 yrs of this stuff, 4 to 6 pm is best.
State or private ground.
Learned long ago to avoid the scorching mid day hrs for so few birds.
Noon to 2 pm............forget it.

We usually hunt from sunrise to 10-11am depending on the birds. Then back out around 5 if we can. It seems like 8-9:30am is the best time for us.

 

[ghuns]

The two tiny terrorists came up for a visit, so I never made it out.

If I'd have been carrying a shotgun on one of the countless gator rides I took them on, I could have bagged my limit near my mom's bird feeder in her front yard.

 

[66chevelle]

Well today was a bust. I hunted from sunrise till 11 and only saw 2 doves. They were over the neighbors property so no shots. Tonight the 5 or 6 were flying very high and north and south. That is very odd for my house. Usually 98% fly east and west.

 

[Judamonster]

I have been going out here and there since the opener. Hit Winamac FWA opening weekend. They put Zero effort into the hunt. Very disappointed. The next weekend we went to Jasper Pulaski and have gone there since that weekend. I definitely notice less birds flying as the season progresses. I can't tell if they figured out where the dove fields are and avoid them? Started migrating? Have been killed? Is it worth continuing to chase them? Thanks!

 

[Hookeye]

There's good shooting on the opener..........everybody is out and keeps em moving from field to field.

A crap field w no shooters may still draw birds late season, and hunters elsewhere may never know.

The doves land there and not leave.

 

[66chevelle]

Has anyone had a good success? It seems like numbers are way low in Hancock county. My buddy hunted Iowa twice now on his family farm and said the Dove have not migrated yet. He said they usually limit out but this year it has been dead.